Green homes could boost housing market

Research by the Energy Saving Trust has revealed that making homes energy efficient would help boost the sluggish housing market.

In a survey of over 2,000 householders by the EST, 53% of homeowners said they would be willing to pay an average of £3,350 more for homes with green features.

Half of those surveyed believe green homes are easier to sell, while three quarters said that a ‘poor’ rating on a home’s Energy Performance Certificate would make a house harder to sell.

EST’s chief executive Philip Sellwood said rising energy prices and the credit crunch has made homeowners more environmentally aware as they look to cut costs.

Estate agents, however, came under attack in the survey, with 56% of respondants believing that estate agents don’t know enough about energy efficiency, and are rarely aware that buyers are willing to pay more for energy efficient homes.

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents, defended his industry, saying that while green features are ‘undoubtedly’ becoming more important, they are only one of the factors that people consider when choosing a new home.